Embedded Files
Week of October 12th-15th
We look forward to meeting with all of our level 2 families this week for Parent-teacher conferences!
Classroom Happenings:
Storypath Episode 3: Understanding the Marketplace
It’s time for the workers to begin another day of work in their businesses! And it’s time for the class to see how the business district and their businesses work. We began this episode by clearly defining goods and services, and followed with a discussion:
What goods and/or services should our business provide?
Who will buy our goods or use our services?
What can we do to make our business appealing to customers?
To help students think more deeply about the role of businesses in general and their businesses in particular, students created a visual display to showcase their goods and services.
Out and About:
On Wednesday, we walked over to the Taste & See Local Food Bank, where community members are working to transform the vacant lot into a pantry garden to help feed people in Forest Grove! We learned about their project and lended our hands, moving mulch, spreading cardboard and preparing soil for vegetables next spring.
Are you interested in volunteering with us? Yes please! Sign up with Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org.
Wed, Nov 4th: SCRAP will come to school to teach us about creative recycled crafting. Plovers 12:25-1:25, Puffins 2-3.
Be healthy and spread kindness,
Miss Sarah Miss Ginny
s.fischer@fgcschool.org g.brown@fgcschool.org
Week of October 12th-15th
Classroom Happenings:
Our Novel Study Read Aloud: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Lights shine in the city of Ember—but at the city limits the light ends, and darkness takes over. Out there in the Unknown Regions, the darkness goes on forever in all directions. Ember—so its people believe—is the only light in the dark world. And now the lights are going out...Is there a way to save the people of Ember?
We are exploring a new genre: Science Fiction!
What happens during a class Read Aloud?
Modeling of expressive/fluent reading and the internal dialogue of skilled readers
Engagement with speaking level vocabulary (may be higher than student reading level)
Discussion and written responses to explore characters, plot and themes.
Out and About:
This week, we considered:
What does a responsible business look like? What roles make it work?
How can a business be accessible for lots of people in the community?
How can you make your classroom business more accessible?
For our O&A, we walked to Adventures Without Limits, a local non-profit that leads kayaking, snowshoeing, camping and other excursions in the great outdoors. We met with the Director, Jen Wilde, to hear how her organization helps community members overcome barriers so that all types of people have the opportunity to explore outdoors.
Are you interested in volunteering with us? Yes please! Sign up with Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org.
Wed, Nov 4th: SCRAP will come to school to teach us about creative recycled crafting. Plovers 12:25-1:25, Puffins 2-3.
Level 2 suggested math homework: 20 minutes (or more) of math practice 3 days a week.
If you are able to support your child’s math practice at home, we recommend that students use their Eureka “Apply” math homework workbook with adult supervision. In addition to practice in the workbook, please set aside time each day to practice multiplication facts (times tables) for 2’s-12’s.
3rd Grade: Module 1 Topic:
Multiplication and Division with Units of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10
4th Grade: Module 1 Topic:
Place Value Concepts for Addition and Subtraction
Be healthy and spread kindness,
Miss Sarah Miss Ginny
s.fischer@fgcschool.org g.brown@fgcschool.org
Week of October 5th-9th
Classroom Happenings:
Main Street Storypath: Understanding Goods and Services.
Storypath: Episode 2
This week, students created the shops, jobs and skills of their characters, becoming the workers in our business community.
Students collaborated with their business partner/s on their Storypath job responsibilities and designed a uniform to reflect the kind of work their character would do. Next, they wrote about the skills and resources their character needs for their job. Our discussion centered on these ideas:
What does a regular day in our job look like?
What specific tasks do you handle?
What kind of education and experience do you need to work in your job?
What skills do you need to do your job?
Do you work with others? If so, what skills do you need to do this?
Who do you depend on in your job? Who depends on you?
Out and About:
As Level 2 starts to craft their own businesses, we headed downtown for inspiration from local business owners. Plovers talked with Dave Ferrier at Slow Rise Bakehouse, who helped us think about ways to care for the community. Puffins got to meet MJ Guidetti of Guidetti’s Marketplace who got us thinking about how to choose products and services that match your passion. What new idea will you borrow for your class business?
Volunteer with us? Yes please! Sign up with Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org.
Wed, Oct 14th: Learn about kayaking and accessibility at the Adventures Without Limits warehouse with an adventure guide. Plovers (12:20-2:10), Puffins (1:15-3:00). Includes 1/2 mile walk each way. Need: 1-2 volunteers / class.
Wed, Nov 4th: SCRAP will come to school to teach us about creative recycled crafting. Plovers 12:25-1:25, Puffins 2-3.
Level 2 suggested math homework: 20 minutes (or more) of math practice 3 days a week.
If you are able to support your child’s math practice at home, we recommend that students use their Eureka “Apply” math homework workbook with adult supervision. In addition to practice in the workbook, please set aside time each day to practice multiplication facts (times tables) for 2’s-12’s.
3rd Grade: Module 1 Topic:
Multiplication and Division with Units of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10
4th Grade: Module 1 Topic:
Place Value Concepts for Addition and Subtraction
Be healthy and spread kindness,
Miss Sarah Miss Ginny
s.fischer@fgcschool.org g.brown@fgcschool.org
Level 2: Weekly Newsletter
October 2, 2026
Hello Level 2 families!
This Week:
In the classroom, students created the setting of our "Storypath" with a mural of their own business community. They collaborated on the layout of their community, and worked together in pairs to choose and create their businesses. They will create a business storefront to add to the mural next week.
StoryPath unit: Main Street: Understanding Goods and Services.
Over the next 2 months, students will explore community collaboration and civics, the path of goods and services, and natural resource management by creating a business and addressing problems within the business community. This corresponds with a series of Out & Abouts where students explore the path of natural resources, goods and services and waste. This unit is designed to help students learn about Oregon’s natural resources, and to understand how behaviors such as recycling, composting, buying products that are recycled or have less packaging, and reducing consumption can help the local and global environment.
During storypath, we will focus on these big questions:
Community jobs:
Who takes care of our community’s resources?
What are some of the responsibilities of the people who work in local businesses?
What skills do workers need? How are these workers alike and different?
Producers & Consumers:
Where does the "stuff" we use everyday come from?
Where does our trash go? How does the way we live affect the Earth?
What are ways we can conserve energy and natural resources?
As our Storypath unit progresses, students will reference project work within an opinion writing unit. Our opinion writing skills focus will include:
Introducing a topic, “hooking” the reader, and stating an opinion
Supporting point of view with reasons and details
Ending with a concluding statement
Transitions, writing conventions, word choice and cohesive ideas
Out and About:
What a beautiful day for a nature walk at Fernhill Wetlands. We observed Northwestern Garter Snakes, Great Egrets, Pacific Tree Frogs and ducks galore! Students had the chance to design their own nature park using inspiration from the beautiful bridges and stone-lined trails in the Water Garden. We also enjoyed a wetland walk with a mission: to track down hidden native plants and animals using a guided map and gather facts about their amazing adaptations. A huge thanks to all the adult volunteers that made our day possible.
It’s time to get homework routines going!
Math: 20+ minutes of math practice 3 times a week.
We recommend that students use their Eureka “Apply” math homework workbook with adult supervision. The “Apply” math homework workbooks have been sent home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
We also strongly recommend that all level 2 students engage in daily multiplication facts practice with times table for 2-12’s.
Looking for an alternative to workbook practice? You can create a free account for your child with independent computer practice:
Khan Academy: instructional videos and problem solving practice
Prodigy: answer math questions, complete quests, earn rewards
Reading: 20+ minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
The public library is a great resource. Make sure your kiddo has access to lots of “good fit” books that they are excited to read.
Read-alouds and audio books work too! Also, listen to your kiddo read outloud, and ask them questions about their reading & thinking.
Dressing for Cold & Rainy Weather:
It's imperative that students come to school with warm layers of clothing, warm socks and rain gear (shoes/coats). We strongly recommend that students keep a change of clothes in their backpacks.
Monday & Thursday: Puffins Outdoor PE
Tuesday & Friday: Plovers Outdoor PE
Wednesday: Out & About
Recess: Twice Everyday
Questions or concerns? Please reach out!
We look forward to seeing you at conferences in a few weeks.
Miss Sarah Miss Ginny
s.fischer@fgcschool.org g.brown@fgcschool.org
Level 2: Weekly Newsletter
September 25, 2026
Hello Level 2 families!
This week, we kicked off our new StoryPath unit: Main Street-Understanding Goods and Services.
Level 2 students engage in two "Storypath" units of study each year.
What is Storypath?
Storypath is an instructional strategy for developing and organizing social studies units which incorporate reading,writing and math. It uses a narrative structure to give a sense of context and connection to the information that is being taught. Students are engaged with investigations framed as stories in which characters experience certain events and are affected by them.
Each Storypath unit is comprised of the following episodes:
Creating the Setting
Creating Characters
Context Building
Critical Incidents
Concluding Event
Over the next 2 months, students will explore community collaboration and civics by creating a business and addressing problems within the business community. This corresponds with a series of Out & Abouts where students will also explore the path of natural resources, goods and services and waste. We will learn about Oregon’s natural resources, and to understand how behaviors such as recycling, composting, buying products that are recycled or have less packaging, and reducing consumption can help the local and global environment.
Out and About:
On Wednesday, armed with maps and clipboards, student teams took stock of what resources are available in downtown Forest Grove. We hunted for services, (Is there a place to get warm on a cold day? get exercise? medical care? computer access?) as well as goods (Is there healthy food to eat? locally made gifts? pet supplies?) We were impressed with students’ knowledge of their place! We’ll use our findings to help develop our own Main Street business community in the classroom.
Thanks for the family volunteers this week! Here are our upcoming opportunities. Email Erin, e.morgan@fgcschool.org to sign up. (Still trying to sort out our next few weeks, stay tuned)
It’s time to get homework routines going!
Math: 20+ minutes of math practice 3 times a week.
We recommend that students use their Eureka “Apply” math homework workbook with adult supervision. The “Apply” math homework workbooks have been sent home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
We also strongly recommend that all level 2 students engage in daily multiplication facts practice with times table for 2-12’s.
Looking for an alternative to workbook practice? You can create a free account for your child with independent computer practice:
Khan Academy: instructional videos and problem solving practice
Prodigy: answer math questions, complete quests, earn rewards
Reading: 20+ minutes reading (outside of school) every day.
The public library is a great resource. Make sure your kiddo has access to lots of “good fit” books that they are excited to read.
Read-alouds and audio books work too! Also, listen to your kiddo read outloud, and ask them questions about their reading & thinking.
Dressing for Cold & Rainy Weather:
It's imperative that students come to school with warm layers of clothing, warm socks and rain gear (shoes/coats). We strongly recommend that students keep a change of clothes in their backpacks.
Monday & Thursday: Puffins Outdoor PE
Tuesday & Friday: Plovers Outdoor PE
Wednesday: Out & About
Recess: Twice Everyday
Questions or concerns? Please reach out!
We look forward to seeing you at conferences in a few weeks.
Miss Sarah Miss Ginny
s.fischer@fgcschool.org g.brown@fgcschool.org
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